


A Dash of Madness

by hazelnuthuntress



Series: The Price of a Princess [1]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 00:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15807207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazelnuthuntress/pseuds/hazelnuthuntress
Summary: Taking place over 100 years after the events of My Little Pony : Friendship is Magic, this is the story of a blue Pegasus mare who just wants to sing. Aura Eclipse lives in Equestria's new age of technology, mainly ruled over by nine princesses. Sure, Equestria has had its dark ages, but they're over that now.Right?Things go south when a certain Pegasus with the flaw of becoming too invested in solving other pony's problems becomes involved in a chase to find somebody named Bear, a mysterious creature who has been abducting ponies and leaving them dead in the streets.Some, however, have survived, as monsters serving Bear's desires to take over Equestria.





	1. 1

"Just sign here, and you're good to go. Class starts on Monday at eight." The blue pegasus put on her best smile for the sweet couple that had just signed up their daughter for Aura's Fermata Music Academy. She sighed contentedly, thinking happily about the new school year that had begun. With her purple and striped mane tied up in her usual updo of half-up-half-tied, she looked at the filly sitting patiently in the waiting room.

"Hey, um, what did you say her name was, Miss?" Aura Eclipse asked the mother, who was scribbling furiously with a quill on the clipboard. She looked like a pleasant pony to be around, with her sky blue and white mane tied up in a messy bun. Her magical aura was light brown, a few shades shy of her coat color.

"Sugar Blossom," the mare said, glancing up just long enough to smile. "And, in case you forgot ours, too, I'm Sweet Jade and my husband here is Cloudberry." Cloudberry, sitting beside his wife, glanced up shyly and waved a hoof. He, too, was a unicorn, but the strange thing was, their daughter Sugar Blossom was a pegasus.

"Well, thanks, Sweet Jade," Aura replied, looking down at the papers she had already filled out. Aura had fifty students this year, from all degrees of foalhood. _Let's see, Sugar Blossom likes to sing. But she's not confident, so that hinders her development. Sounds a lot like I did when I started._

The bell on the entryway door jingled and Aura's head shot up to see who had come in. She rolled her eyes when she recognized the arrogant orange unicorn as her best friend and partner in performance. "Forte, what in Equestria are you doing here? I've got customers!" She huffed dramatically as the young stallion trotted up to the blue mare behind the counter and threw her his best smirk.

"Thought you'd be happy to see me, Aura," he said. "Hey, I've got the best news." He paused for dramatic effect, green eyes flickering between Aura and the paper she was reading.

"What?"

"I got us a gig at Princess Fluttershy's gala this weekend in Cloudsdale." He brought a hoof up to the counter, leaning it casually against the material. "I know I should've asked you first, babe, but I couldn't risk hearing a 'no'."

"First of all, Fortissimo, don't call me that. Second... I'm so busy this weekend with all these new students-" She glanced at Sweet Jade and Cloudberry, who both looked worried, and added, "-who are so fun to work with and I'm totally excited!"

Sweet Jade placed the last form on the counter and waved, bringing her family with her.

"Bye guys! See ya!" Aura called after them.

"C'mon, please?" Forte pleaded, begging with her eyes. "We can't disappoint a princess."

Aura thought about the princesses- Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Flurry Heart, Cadence, Luna, and Celestia. That was nine princesses all together, who ruled over different aspects of Equestrian life. It had been well over one hundred years since Princess Twilight was crowned and given rule over Ponyville and overseeing the protection of any magical elements.

Aura mentally recited the history in her head- the Elements of Harmony each became Twilight's students, after her last student, Starlight Glimmer, turned down the life of a royal because she was in love with a unicorn in Canterlot named Sunburst.

Twilight was devastated with the loss of her pupil, but quickly recovered when Celestia gave her the permission to mentor the other five elements. Things were going well and the elements continued to protect Equestria for years before something went sour.

Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty, had succumbed to darkness. She was arrogant, competitive, and cared for nothing more than to be the best and make her country the best. She'd vowed to do anything to bring Equestria to the top, and she meant it.

The rainbow pegasus began a revolution of horrible thinking the moment her dangerous work was revealed. She'd been found to be the sole cause of millions of pegasi's deaths in a despicable work called the Rainbow Factory. Eliminate the weak and by doing so, you strengthen the nation.

Rainbow Dash was quickly defeated by her friends, once her menacing work was brought into light. Celestia insisted she be executed by Twilight herself. It was a shock to the rest of the country that one of their own elements of harmony be put to death, and nobody forgot it for years. Not with so many pegasi feathers scattered around the factory and so many empty spaces in families.

But eventually, decades after the remaining four were crowned princesses and given provinces to rule over, and a new generation was born (knowing the scarring events of before as nothing but a country's history), and it was forgotten. Others, old and gray, who did remember, no longer wanted to. Equestria had time and time again repeatedly gone through dark hours, and it seemed this time was no different.

But _this_ time was different. Aura Eclipse was sure of it. Equestria couldn't be any wiser, any more advanced, any happier. Music made a huge comeback after the Time of Dark Colors, as history books called it, and Aura, as a young filly, found herself diving into it enthusiastically. There were so many new inventions, some rumored to have been stolen from other dimensions and adapted to a pony's anatomy, but it was nothing more than a fairytale or a myth to Aura. Ponies no longer carried around taxi wagons on their backs; there were cars and buses with big, comfortable seats. Ponies didn't write letters anymore, instead, there were wireless phones that went around a pony's head like glasses, each coming with a wireless keyboard and a mic attached to the side. There were electric ovens, airplanes, submarines, aquariums, museums, everything you could and couldn't imagine.

Equestria was perfect, Applewood was perfect, and it could only get better.

Aura Eclipse had no doubt.

\---

"So, what did you have planned for Sunday night's gala?" Aura and Forte had caught a plane to Cloudsdale where Princess Fluttershy's throne was located. She had welcomed them inside the palace with a warm smile, humming sweetly to the birds that fluttered around the white marble castle constantly.

They were currently walking down a corridor together, Forte on Aura's left and the princess on her right- specifically to keep Forte from making any flirtatious comments towards the royal.

"It's going to be animal themed, of course, and I'd like my dear Discord to be there," Fluttershy said, blushing slightly at the mention of one of the element's biggest successes in villain reformations. Aura had nearly forgotten that the old Lord of Chaos was now engaged to Fluttershy and was making the transition from his reality to hers. "I'm inviting tons of officials and old friends... the ones that are still alive..." Fluttershy's light smile dropped significantly. She shook her head slightly, giving me a small smile. "Good thing most of my best friends are already immortal, right?" 

Aura nervously chuckled, looking at Forte to her left, who looked almost somber. Aura was thinking about Rainbow Dash, the spitfire pegasus who had been dead for nearly a century.

Did Fluttershy still think about her old friend every day? Did she still think about her execution, carried out by her own best friend? 

Aura shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. _I wasn't even alive when that happened. This is the new Equestria... stuff like that doesn't happen anymore._

 

 


	2. 2

 

"Hey, Forte, who're you inviting to the Gala tomorrow?" Aura held her extra Butterfly Gala ticket in her hooves, studying the tiny golden script curiously. Princess Fluttershy had given them each a spare ticket for some friends. Aura already knew exactly who should come; her best friend Tallulah North only lived thirty minutes away on the coast of Applewood, working as a lifeguard. Tallulah was a complete life-of-the-party. 

"Mhmm," Forte mumbled, staring absently out the window of the studio where they recorded their music. 

"Fort _issimo,_ would you stop staring at mares and concentrate?" Aura grumbled, staring at the ticket. So much for concentrating, when she herself couldn't even think about anything except wearing a fancy dress and dancing among royals and friends of royals. This was the very first gala they were performing at, and although they weren't the feature presentation, there being more than twenty groups performing that night, she was beyond excited and completely thrilled that Forte could even get them into something that prestigious. Princess Fluttershy's Butterfly Gala was the second big event of the year behind the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot.

"Aw, c'mon, Aura," Forte said, winking playfully at the blue pegasus. "You're just jealous."

She rolled her eyes. "As if. But seriously, who're you bringing?"

"A friend of mine, Piano Keys," Forte said. "And for the record, he's not a girl."

"Oh, surprise, surprise! Did your girlfriend break up with you or something? Can't get some peppy girl to go with you?" Aura quipped, snickering.

Forte turned as red as his mane. "Why would I give my girlfriend a ticket when she's already going with me?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, leaning towards Aura with a big smirk on his face. 

"I've seen cabbages more charming than you," Aura deadpanned, looking over Forte's sheet music. "Have you even _practiced_ this yet? I haven't heard a trumpet since you told me about the Butterfly Gala."

"Pshh, I've practically got it memorized-"

"Forte! The Gala is tomorrow and you've done nothing! I will not have Fermata embarrassed in front of a princess!"Aura stood up, pacing back and forth in panic. She was supposed to sing some slow-dancing song, and Forte was supposed to be the soft jazzy trumpet solo in the background. Fortissimo was known for being a loud and proud player, not soft or slow, and in order for him to do it properly... he had to practice for hours...

"Hey, wait! I've got an idea," Forte said, green eyes glimmering. "We could... sing together?"

"Can you even sing, Forte?" Aura turned away to hide the blush that was growing on her face. No, she didn't like Fortissimo, not like _that,_ but there was no denying that he was extremely attractive and charismatic. He'd been her best friend since they met in a community band, and at the time, they were both playing trumpet. But Aura's heart was into singing, but she wasn't very confident, so they teamed up and made Fermata.

"Aura, baby, do you even _know_ how many mares I've serenaded with my voice? I've got the voice of a siren," Forte said, looking smug. "Of course I can sing. I'm even better than that Justin Beaver guy."

Aura laughed. "Okay! Sure. Do you have a song in mind? It's gotta be something ponies can dance to."

"What about 'Haven't Met You Yet'?" Forte suggested, pulling up the lyrics on a nearby tablet. Aura glanced over them.

"This isn't a duet," she noted. 

"Yeah, I know. We could harmonize or something. You be all high and squeaky-"

"I'm an alto, Forte," Aura huffed. "My voice barely goes above a high E."

"Not bad... we could work with that. And uh, if we need, my friend Piano can play, well, the piano as background for this performance," Forte suggested. 

"O-okay," Aura mumbled, not sure how she felt about some random stallion she'd never met playing in their big performance. "Print out the lyrics and call Piano Keys; we're going to rehearse today and tomorrow morning." But it was okay, right? Just a one time thing, then he'd be gone. 

Aura was completely uncomfortable working with strangers, which is why for years, she only worked with Forte. 

"So who're you inviting? I never heard a name," Forte said from across the room. 

"Oh. Tallulah," Aura said. 

"Wait, you don't mean Tallulah _North_ do you? Fish Tank #1?" He scrunched up his nose in disgust.

"Yes I mean her, and what do you mean by _that_ face?" Aura asked. Tallulah was beautiful, albeit strange looking. Her coat was beige with purple stripes, and on her legs were tiny fins. Her mane and tail were the most extraordinary parts of her. Her mane flowed like water and seemed to be constrained by absolutely nothing, but when touched, it felt like thin plastic. Inside the mane were fish and rocks and seaweed and sand, like an aquarium. Her tail held a small spherical tank with a singular fish. It was hard like glass and practically indestructible, but because of a birth defect, Tallulah's Life Bubble was cracked and dripped constantly. If her bubble ever ran out of water, she would die, which led her to drink water more often than any pony Aura knew. 

"She's weird, Aura," Forte said, the song lyrics levitating in his green aura as he approached her and took his seat on a wooden stool. 

"You've never met her."

"Don't need to."

"C'mon, Forte. Just 'cuz she's not the beautiful you're used to doesn't mean she's ugly, 'kay?" Aura felt bad for her friends... Tallulah didn't like Forte ("He's so arrogant and shallow!") and Forte didn't like Tallulah ("She's weird."). 

She'd known both of them for years but they refused to meet each other for petty reasons. Tallulah was the only mare Forte wasn't dying to meet, and Aura wanted to know why.

"It has nothing to do with that." Forte looked out the window again, propping his chin on his hoof. Aura leaned forward to glance at him, curious and confused. There was something wrong. 

\---

"Can you go get the door, Aura? I'm trying to come up with the harmony for the song," Forte mumbled, pencil scribbling furiously on paper. He hadn't said anything about Tallulah for the next hour and Aura was okay with that. 

Aura trotted towards the door, clearing her throat after she'd been running through the song about ten times. It was a cute song for swing dancing, Aura's personal favorite type of dance. Pegasus Class dancing was perhaps the most graceful version of any dance type, and Aura Eclipse enjoyed watching professionals carry out the moves on television.

In Equestria, dances took form in three classes: Pegasus, Earth, and Unicorn. Each class had different moves, accenting the strengths of the dancer. Pegasus Class focused on grace, Unicorn Class on visuals, and Earth Class on flexibility.

When Aura opened the door, it revealed a tall, sky blue unicorn with black and white mane. His eyes were dark blue, round and soft and innocent. 

"Uh, is Forte here?" The unicorn's voice was probably a tenor. He wore a white scarf dotted with black music notes, and a piano-themed bracelet around his left leg. There was another scarf wrapped around his solid black tail, and his cutie mark was a strange combination of piano keys to create an overall image of a... fermata.

"Are you Piano Keys? Hi, I'm Aura," she said, sticking out a blue hoof for the unicorn to shake. He did so, looking at her curiously, blue eyes studying her lighter ones. 

"Aura Eclipse," he said, and Aura found herself liking the way her name rolled off his tongue. "Forte's told me so much."

Heat rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment, Aura said, "Good things, right?"

He smiled, his grin different from Fortissimo's usual smirk. "Good and bad, but don't worry about it. So... we're rehearsing, right?"

Aura nodded, leading him to the studio. 

 


	3. 3

When Aura entered the studio, Forte was already dramatically air-singing into a microphone, complete with dancing. She stood at the doorway, silencing Piano with a flicker of her ear, laughing silently, watching the scene.

He sure was cute when he wasn't trying to be flirtatious. He was a complete goofball behind closed doors, when there was no one to impress.

Piano cleared his throat, and Forte nearly jumped out of his pelt when he saw the two standing in the doorway. He turned red and smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry, got carried away. The audience was going wild," he said, winking. 

Piano shook his head next to me and walked into the room. "Alright, so what are we starting with? And what song?"

"'Haven't Met You Yet' by Minty Bubbles," Forte said. "It's super cool."

Piano nodded slowly. "So a tenor and an... uh, alto?"

Aura replied with, "Yep!"

"That's not a duet song, though," Piano noted. "You don't have anything better?"

Aura scrunched her nose up at his comment. Sure, they were performing together, but she barely knew the guy and he was already making suggestions. "What exactly do you have in mind, if you're so good at choosing songs?" She didn't hide the bite in her voice. Not only was she worried about this not turning out well, considering they were behind schedule and memorizing something new, but she was stressed about performing with some stallion she didn't know. 

Piano blinked his blue eyes in response to her tone. That one blink, that millisecond, seemed to communicate all the patience he had being summoned. But when Aura replayed the scene in her head, it actually seemed like the unicorn's eyes held... _amusement._

"'Like I'm Gonna Lose You' is a great duet for dances," Piano said, quite calmly. "I think it'd serve just as well as a swing dance."

Forte quickly pulled up the lyrics before Aura had any chance to object, playing the song on a tablet. It was cute, a highly sappy romance piece that, Aura hated to admit, was perfect.

"This song is adorable," Forte said, glancing at Aura for approval. She simply rolled her eyes and shrugged. 

"Guess we'll give it a try. Piano, there's an electric keyboard over there." Aura trotted over to her microphone, which was attached to a stand perfect for her short stature. "Ready?"

Piano nodded and struck the first chord, launching Aura into the lyrics.

 _"I found myself dreaming in silver and gold-"_ So far, so good. Aura had started a little off due to her having never sung the song before, but she quickly recovered. _"-like a scene from a movie that every broken heart knows. We were walking on moonlight, and you pulled me close. Split second and you disappeared and then I was all alone..."_

Aura sang her part fine, even relishing in the sound of her own voice. She found herself liking the song... it was so poetic and descriptive, and that was something she really valued in music. It painted a picture. 

Suddenly, her part was over, and Forte's voice replaced hers. 

 _"In the blink of an eye..."_ In that phrase alone, Aura felt it was dangerous for her to sing this song with him, with her best friend. Forte's voice was so strong, confident, so smooth. She knew then she could easily fall in love with just his voice.

And she didn't want that happening. 

She put so much emotion into everything she did... if she sang a love song with her best friend, would it make her... feel anything towards him?

He was shallow. He had no standards. 

But he was funny, he always made Aura smile, he was loud and crazy and...

...it wouldn't be hard to fall in love.

"Aura?"

Aura snapped out of her trance and glanced at Forte, who had been staring at her quizzically. Piano Keys stopped playing, and both unicorns just stared at her funny.

Great... she'd zoned out again and forgotten how to sing. And now she was in an awkward situation... she hated those, hated feeling trapped with no way out, nowhere to run. 

"I- I need to go see Tallulah," she mumbled, more to herself, but she knew Forte heard her from the way his ears flickered in acknowledgment. 

"Yeah, okay," Forte replied coolly, green eyes pooling with concern. "I'll see you later?"

Aura nodded. "Mhmm. Sorry for acting weird, I guess I just don't feel well." She hoped it showed on her face, hoped there was some strain of sickness or fatigue in her eyes. She wasn't a good liar. She felt perfectly fine; the exhilaration of singing always got her up and going. 

Neither unicorns spoke as she left the room, but they shared confused glances as she trotted out of the studio and took flight to the air.

 _The Butterfly Gala is tomorrow! Tomorrow, for crying out loud, and suddenly, I have a problem I don't know how to fix. I'm afraid to fall in love with my best friend. I'm afraid he'd break my heart._ Aura shook her head angrily, focusing only on the wind in her mane and coursing through her wings. Tallulah could help her; she always did. Maybe she just needed a Girls' Day Out with her bestie. 

The land underneath of her transformed from mountains to beaches, considering Applewood was right on the coast of Western Equestria. Tallulah would either be on duty as a lifeguard or packing up to head to her beach house. Tallulah and her sister Ondina were loaded.

Aura drifted towards the familiar beach and life-stand, spotting the sand-colored pony right away. Aura landed neatly beside her, tucking blue wings against her body. 

"Hey, 'Lulah," Aura greeted her friend, trotting up beside the life-stand. Tallulah looked down at her, currently guzzling another bottle of water, finishing it, and tossing it expertly into a cooler below. 

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Tallulah gracefully leapt out of the chair, landing in the soft sand beneath her. She waved to a green Pegasus with blue mane nearby- Kiyo, as Aura remembered- who nodded and swiftly replaced Tallulah as the lifeguard on duty.

"I think I'm just nervous." Shoot, she forgot to even invite Tallulah to the Gala that was tomorrow. "There's the Butterfly Gala tomorrow, and Forte managed to get us a spot in as a performance-"

Aura crashed to the ground as Tallulah dove on top of her in an awkward attempt to hug her. "Wow! That's big! You must be so excited."

Aura nodded. "Yep. Excited... well, uh, a bunch of stuff happened and we're not very prepared at all, and now this new guy's playing for our performance tomorrow with us, and suddenly singing a love song with Fortissimo makes me very, very nervous."

"Why would that make you nervous? Have you never sung a duet before?" Tallulah did her best to hide her distaste for the stallion. 

Aura shook her head. "I'm just... wondering, what if-"

"-just wondering if singing a love song will make you feel the same?" Tallulah finished. "That's okay; it's perfectly normal. When you dance with someone, you usually feel all giddy inside, right? That's okay. It'll wear off later."

"Thanks," Aura said, releasing a sigh of relief. "Oh, I have an extra ticket to the Gala, do you want to come?"

Excitement flickered through Tallulah's eyes. "Of course I want to! There's water there, right?"

 

 


	4. 4

It was the night of the Butterfly Gala, and Aura couldn't contain her excitement. She paced the hotel room she would be staying in before and after the performance, ignoring the looks Forte and Piano kept giving her. 

"Calm down, will you?" Forte said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "I know you're nervous, but dang, you've never been this nervous."

"What if something goes wrong, Forte? Like we embarrass ourselves-"

"Sweetheart, you'll be the only one embarrassing yourself," Forte interrupted. 

Aura glared at the unicorn. "Not. Helping."

"Just don't think about what could go wrong, Aura," Piano Keys said, watching with interest at the two of us. "You'll do fine."

\----

"Which fork am I supposed to use??"

"Aura, just... pick one."

"What even are we eating?"

"Real food, not fast food."

So that was how it started, with the three of them trying to figure out how sophisticated society worked. The three were seated at a tabled with a couple of other important ponies. None of them had really started a conversation yet, being too caught up in the three's antics. 

When Aura had just settled for picking a fork and eating her food, the two unicorns beside her looked to the rest of the table.

"Sorry about that," Forte said. "How are you ladies tonight? I'm Fortissimo."

A Pegasus with a lime green coat and graying mane tied up in tight buns cleared her throat. "I am Bluhen, Queen of Germaneigh."

The creature beside her grinned, tipping her head in a bow. She was an Alicorn creature with wings made of metal blades and her jaw hinged like she was some sort of robot. She was brown in color, with amber eyes and long, dark brown dreads that floated around her head majestically, though her eyes sparkled with adventure.

"I am Queen Caribbea, also know to close friends and family as Talipariti," the mare said. "I live in Aruba in a palace with my three other siblings."

Beside Queen Caribbea was a pony with cat-like paws, purple fur, and great big horns that wrapped around his ears like a ram's. He was an Alicorn as well. Being around all this royalty made Aura feel... underdressed, naked, like she didn't belong there and all her insufficiencies were exposed. But she had to suck it up for one night.

"I am Boysenberry of Neighagra Falls," the pony said, his eyes watching each of us carefully. That was all he said, which sparked the confusion and curiosity of the others at the table.

"You say Neighagra Falls? How come I have not seen you before?" Bluhen asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I was just coronated recently," Boysenberry answered, his answer short and curt. "My mentor is Bear."

"Bear?" Queen Caribbea questioned. "Is he or she a ruler, too?"

"Bear creates rulers," Boysenberry said, his green eyes meeting Aura's from across the table.

Silence spread from the ominous message.

In an attempt to break the awkward silence, Aura introduced herself. "Well, nice to meet you, every pony. I'm Aura Eclipse, and these are my friends Piano Keys and Fortissimo."

Glad to have a distraction from Boysenberry, Queen Caribbea smiled. "Are any of you royals? Officials?"

"N-no, we're just performers," Aura answered with a blush. "We were invited here by Princess Fluttershy."

"Do you three perform often?" Bluhen asked.

"No, ma'am," Forte said. "We're pretty new to this performing thing, though we have been recording music for quite a while. This is the biggest event we've ever performed at."

"If all goes well tonight, consider yourselves booked for another," Bluhen said, lifting her glass and taking a sip. "I'll be holding a ball similar to this one in a couple of months in honor of my daughter's wedding."

"You Majesty, that would be wonderful," Aura said. Though she wasn't sure how in Equestria the two (three?) of them would get to Germaneigh with the money they had, she was delighted to already be held in such high regards by royals. 

A loud clinging of glass sounded, and the ponies' attention was drawn to a microphone on stage. Princess Fluttershy held a glass and a spoon. 

"Thank you all for coming tonight!" the princess began. "I hope you all enjoy the dress-free code tonight, considering I don't like dresses much myself. I am Princess Fluttershy of Cloudsdale, and tonight- oh dear, it seems I've said that three times already- I'd like to unify every country and nation all over the world in dance! Let the music begin!"

With a wave of her hoof, the band behind her began playing its bouncy tunes, and ponies and creatures alike left their tables as servants came and moved them back against the walls. With the floor wide and open for dancing, stallions approached the mares for dances. 

"This part always makes me so nervous," Aura admitted, joining her two friends on the sidelines. She glanced around the room, looking for her friend Talullah. She spotted the earth pony gulping water greedily, much to the horror of the royals and officials around her. "And there's Talullah."

"Wait!" Forte grabbed her shoulder before she could walk away, dark green eyes focused on hers. "Let's dance."

"R-really?" Aura shuffled her feathers awkwardly. 

"Of course," Forte said. "You're my best friend."

 _Oh, of course,_ Aura thought. _He wasn't trying to be flirty. He was just being nice._ "I would love to, Forte."

The two walked towards an empty spot on the dance floor, which had already gotten pretty full, and stopped. Then, they began stepping to the beat in sync, not touching in any way. Aura remembered learning about how Equestrian dancing had come about. It wasn't very popular back over a century ago, having been newly invented and a bit awkward for any four-legged creature to do. But ever since the first dimension-travelers released their discoveries and research- dance techniques of two-legs like humans being one of them- different types of dances were integrated into everyday Equestrian lifestyle. It wasn't about hands moving together gracefully such as with humans, but more standing together and mirroring each other's movements to a tee. 

The two moved in sync, silence ensuing before Forte broke it. "So, you start your music academy tomorrow?"

Grateful for the conversation, Aura nodded. "Yeah. I'm really excited! I'm so ready to help others like me finally embrace the performance life!"

Eyeing her, the unicorn raised an eyebrow. "Have you really embraced it, Aura?"

 

 


	5. 5

 

With a comforting pat on the shoulder, Forte smiled at Aura. "Calm down, you'll do great! It's only one song, and we'll be doing it together."

Nodding furiously, half in an effort to distract herself from the shaking of her hooves and wings, Aura took a deep breath. This happened before every performance, no matter how big or small. She had awful stage fright, but somehow that pushed her to keep diving into gigs like this one.

"Thanks, Forte," Aura whispered, following him out to the stage. There was a brief two minute switch time for bands, during which Piano Keys chose to warm up and Princess Fluttershy give a few announcements. 

The two singers took their places in front of the piano, behind the two microphones. The princess gave each of them a nod. "Good luck!"

Performers that night had been great. To say the least, as one of the last acts of the night, Aura felt terrified that the three of them wouldn't be able to match up to anyone else's acts. How would ponies remember her? As someone who blew them all away, or the opposite?

Forte gave her a warm smile and nodded towards Piano Keys, giving him the go ahead to start. Aura took a deep breath and dove into the song, her voice shaky at first, but she felt soon swept away into the music. 

Closing her eyes blissfully, the Pegasus swayed to the beat, her voice leaving her body as if it had a mind of its own. This- _this_ was why she loved singing. This was why she pushed herself every time to leave her shell. The exhilaration of singing, especially in front of ponies, just got her blood rushing, her heart racing. It gave her the same effect of riding a rollercoaster in Las Pegasus. 

Forte's voice took over, and she opened her eyes, a little embarrassed they'd been closed the entire time. He was doing so well, especially for a pony who'd never sung on stage before. She was a little jealous of the confidence he had, the fact that he could do it so easily. Couples were dancing, lively moves and twirls and bows enveloping her sight. 

The song ended too soon; she could've stayed on stage for hours, until her voice cracked and ran dry. There was a brief applause from ponies, though most seemed too wrapped up in their dances. Aura caught Talullah's eyes from the drink table, twinkling with delight. 

"You guys did great!" the earth pony yelled, much to surrounding ponies' dismay. She patted her winged friend on the back, gulping down another bottle of water, releasing a sigh afterwards. "I could tell you were nervous, though, at the start."

Embarrassed, Aura ducked her head. "Oh, you could?"

"Only a little," Lullah said. "Probably because I know you so well, though. That piano guy is excellent! Keep him."

"W-well, this was only supposed to be a one-time thing," Aura answered. 

"Yeah, but _Aura_ ," Lullah whined, "you love duets! And he seems the perfect match for Fermata. Come on! That, and he's cute!"

Aura rolled her eyes. "Oh, Talullah, I love you but you need to stop hitting on every guy you see. I have one Forte already."

Her smile fell, and Aura knew she'd struck something in her friend. "There it is, that... distaste. I don't understand why you two hate each other so much."

"It's... complicated," Talullah answered. 

"Can we talk about this sometime? Please? I really want you two to get along," she begged. 

Flicking an ear back in impatience, Talullah sighed. "I don't know, I... I haven't talked to anyone about it in forever. And I think I should be going. I have work in the morning, and Kiyori's gonna hate me if I take her break time again. Call me after work, okay?"

With that, she hugged me, her cool hair brushing against my face, like a glass of water. I returned the hug. "Okay. Be careful getting home."

She trotted off, throwing me a smile over her shoulder. A guard escorted her and a couple of other ponies out of the ballroom. 

"I don't mean to have eavesdropped, but whenever someone says 'it's complicated,' they usually mean there was a romantic relationship involved," a voice said. I turned to see Queen Caribbea sitting beside me, staring at the door where Talullah had just left.

"Oh, hi," Aura said. "Didn't see you there." Shuffling her wings out of boredom, she added, "I... don't know what to think. Two of my best friends in the whole world don't get along, and-"

"-And you want to fix it," Queen Caribbea said. "I get it. Been there, done that. But... if I may offer some advice, I'd stay out of it. There is nothing a pony hates more than somebody else solving their problems for them. If you want your friends to solve their problems, let time do the healing. You have your own problems to deal with."

"You're right," Aura admitted. "But... I've always felt the need to solve problems, even if they aren't my own. I feel like if I sit here and do nothing, if something goes wrong, it's my fault."

"That's an admirable trait, but it can get you in some sticky situations. Like I said, not everyone appreciates ponies getting in their business. You can never truly know the emotions behind a problem unless you were there, you know?"

The blue mare nodded. Looking up at the taller mare with big eyes, she smiled. "Thanks, Queen Caribbea."

"Call me Tali," she responded. "If you ever need advice, hit me up." With that, she pressed the button on the side of Aura's phone which wrapped around her head like glasses and let the laser pass over her face. There was a ding, and her contact information showed up on Aura's screen. 

"I will," Aura said. 

As the night went on, Aura chatted with several different ponies, some taking note of how well she did during her performance, which made her smile. Sometimes, she'd say hello to Forte or Piano Keys.

This time, she found herself stuck talking with Boysenberry, the odd prince of Neighagra Falls who'd been very vague during dinner. He'd described life in the Falls, considering Aura had never been there and wanted to know more, when Fluttershy's voice drew everyone's attention to the stage once again. 

Expecting her easy going smile, Aura was startled to see the princess's eyes were wide with panic. 

"I have horrible news. Everyone must leave for home at once, and take the utmost precaution. I will send guards to escort each of you home. There have been multiple abductions within the last hour in Cloudsdale. I'm sorry to cut this short, but I must attend to my city!" 

Ponies began fleeing towards the doors in panic, and the princess stood on stage looking completely distraught. Aura's heart ached to comfort the princess in any way she could, and stood to make her way towards her when she caught a voice from behind her.

"Bear's second wave has begun."

 


	6. 6

Choosing to ignore Boysenberry's ominous message for the meanwhile, Aura made her way towards Princess Fluttershy.

"Your Highness, what's going on?" Aura asked the yellow pony, who was quickly gathering her guards and distributing them to the ponies. 

"I'm sorry, Aura, I must leave at once," Fluttershy said, her eyes apologetic. "I promise I'll tell you everything when I get back."

"With all due respect, I'd like to help," Aura said, looking over her shoulders for Piano Keys and Forte. They were waiting expectantly for her, eyes curious. 

"It's too dangerous," Fluttershy answered. "There have been dozens of dead bodies found on the streets of Cloudsdale. I cannot risk any more citizens."

"I think I might be able to help, though," Aura pushed. "Boysenberry has something to do with this. He mentioned somebody named Bear."

Fluttershy sighed. "Yes, I'm aware of this... Bear character. They've been leaving their mark on every victim. But I can't track them down."

"Why not? We have the technology for it," Aura responded. "Just find Bear's DNA on the victims and trace it to an individual."

"If it was that easy, trust me, I would," Fluttershy said. "But Bear's marks- these giant paws of blood left on the victims- were made using magic. No touch required. Magic doesn't have any sort of traceable DNA."

Aura Eclipse stood still, racking her brain for any other method of chase she knew. She came up empty.

"Thank you for your help, Aura, but I should be going," Fluttershy said, smiling. Her pink mane curled prettily and dropped to the ground, but there were bags under her eyes. She was tired. "Turtle Dove, Serendipity, please escort Fermata home."

Two guards approached Aura. They were two Pegasi, one with a green body and darker green mane and a mare with a white body and blue mane to match her eyes. Aura summoned the other two members of her band and they were lead out of the Palace with the two guards.

"Aura, what was all that about?" Forte asked, green eyes pooling with worry. 

"I had information that could help Fluttershy," she answered, feeling a little sad that she couldn't be of help. "That Boysenberry guy has something to do with this. I told her what I'd heard."

"Then let her take care of it," Forte said. "I know how much you want to help, Aura, but we aren't really spies or ninjas or police. We're performers."

"But Boysenberry-"

"Fluttershy has it under control."

The two guards brought them to a private jet, and they loaded on with about ten other ponies. Aura sat in between Forte and Piano, looking nervously out the window. She was itching to help. She doubted Fluttershy was catching Boysenberry herself, with her being busy trying to protect her city. Boysenberry was an Alicorn, probably more powerful than multiple unicorns combined. An average guard couldn't take him down, and neither could a legion of them. 

Boysenberry was dangerous, and he was connected to Bear. 

He could be anywhere by now. More ponies could be dead. Someone could get _hurt_ -

"Aura, calm down," Forte hissed. 

She hadn't realized she was breathing so heavily. Aura shook her head, unbuckling her seat belt. "Sorry, Forte, but I have to do something! I can't just sit here while a potential suspect is on the loose."

The Pegasus struggled to leave her seat, and Forte pinned her hooves in place, eyes inches from hers, holding her in a stare. "Aura Eclipse, I am _not_ letting you do something stupid so you can play the hero. Sit down."

"It's not stupid!"

"You simply aren't _capable!"_  

"Don't tell me what I'm not capable-!" Aura bared her teeth and tried to push him off, but the unicorn was much stronger than her. "Get off me!"

"If you don't shut up and sit down, I'll just have to make you," Forte growled.

"How exactly do you plan on doing that, Forte?" Aura challenged him, pinning her ears back.

Her eyes went wide as moons when he suddenly kissed the mare, his mane brushing her cheek. He pulled back and sighed, "Stay, please."

Speechless, Aura covered her face with her wings while adjusting her buckles. She was completely pink, sitting up for the rest of the flight with her wings tightly held to her back and her tail wrapped around her legs. She wished she had the window seat, but instead she was stuck between Forte and Piano. 

Aura wasn't sure whether or not to be angry. She was shocked, of course. He just _kissed_ her! Yeah, he efficiently shut her up, but she was still set on helping. Maybe it was best she wait until she got off the plane, out of sight of the two unicorns. 

They landed without so much as a word, Aura going out of her way not to look at the orange unicorn. The airport staff helped guide them towards the exit. 

"Wait, Aura!" 

Reluctantly, Aura Eclipse turned to face somebody she'd been avoiding for the past two hours. Fortissimo held up her saddlebag in his green magic. She sighed and trotted up to the unicorn to retrieve her bag. 

She reached up with a hoof to grab it, but it rose higher. Throwing Forte a glare, she rolled her eyes. He frowned, then placed it on her back.

"Sorry, I forgot how short you were," Forte quipped. 

"I'm going home," Aura said, turning to leave.

"No! We- we need to talk about what happened on the plane-"

"Some other time," she replied, breaking into a trot and exiting the airport, lifting off the ground and into the Applewood night sky. 

So, her plan was delayed, sure.

But that didn't mean it was destroyed completely. She was still going after Boysenberry, with or without her friends' help.


End file.
